Special Economic Zones in the OIC Region:
Learning from Experience
4
arrangements, unreliable and poor quality infrastructure and some political and social
developments; all of which have had detrimental impacts on investment.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on the information and data available to the authors, this report has shown that at present
there are approximately 33 OIC Member Countries which have established SEZ programmes,
with a number more who have aspirations to develop future programmes. Whilst data is not
available for all zones, there has been a clear increase in the number of zones established since
the start of the millennium with 63% of zones established since 2000 within OIC Member
Countries.
Whilst it is acknowledged that there are no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions to SEZ development there
are a number of key success factors which have been identified which government, operators
and investors could implement in the design, implementation and operation of SEZ programmes
within OIC Member Countries. These experiences have informed the following
recommendations:
Organizational Success Factors
 SEZ programmes need to be programmed and designed as core components of a
national economic strategy;
 An evidence-based approach should be used to demonstrate why SEZs constitute an
appropriate form of policy intervention;
 The economic rationale for the development of an SEZ programme also needs to be
grounded in an appreciation of the existing factors constraining economic performance;
 It is important to determine the right type of SEZ development model and this should
be aligned to the policy objectives. Flexibility in model development is important to
present the most attractive value proposition to the market;
 SEZ programmes should be driven by a range of government departments and agencies
in order for it to be successful;
 Executive support for an SEZ programme is critical for ensuring that all those in
government understand that the programme is an executive priority;
 Formulation of SEZ working groups can be a key tool in ensuring that the full range of
issues and opportunities that an SEZ programme generates is captured and to ensure
lateral support from relevant stakeholders;
 It should be clearly defined as to how the SEZ programme will be governed and how
investors will be attracted and serviced. This may include the establishment of an
oversight body;